Cancer patients struggle with treatment cost

Soon after Valerie Berry was diagnosed with breast cancer, her thoughts turned to money.

Even with private health insurance covering 80 percent of her costs, the bills soon stacked up. Her out-of-pocket share for the first three months of treatment added up to $8,000.

"It was scary," said Berry, 45, of Chicago, an administrative assistant who was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in April. "It got to the point where I had to stop opening bills because I was getting one every day, sometimes two."

Paying for treatment is among the top concerns many Americans have about a cancer diagnosis.